


The End

by sparxwrites



Category: The Yogscast
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mercy Killing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-31
Updated: 2016-05-31
Packaged: 2018-07-11 10:13:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7044190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sparxwrites/pseuds/sparxwrites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I’m sorry,” murmured Kirin, softly, cradling Xephos’ body close to his chest. The alien felt so small like this, despite his height, skinny and fragile and limp in his arms. “I am so sorry, I really am.”</p>
<p>(In which Kirin does what needs to be done.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	The End

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by [this piece of art](http://cacklefrendly.tumblr.com/post/142716294049/sticks-leg-in-air-have-you-heard-about-our-lord) by cacklefrendly

“I’m sorry,” murmured Kirin, softly, cradling Xephos’ body close to his chest. The alien felt so _small_  like this, despite his height, skinny and fragile and limp in his arms. “I am so sorry, I really am.”

Xephos’ breathing rasped in his chest, wet and damp and shuddering. A sword through the chest tended to do that to you, ruin your breathing. It was an effort to speak, every word like climbing a mountain, when there was barely enough air in his ruined lungs to keep the darkness clouding the edges of his vision at bay - but he fought through it nonetheless, teeth gritted and blue with his own blood. “No- no you’re not.”

Sighing, Kirin’s eyes closed, briefly, a flutter of eyelashes against the burnt blue-black of his cheeks. “I’m…” he started, and then stopped, the hand cupped around the back of Xephos’ head brushing a thumb across his cheek. He was already cool, colder than any living thing should be, not enough blood left in him to keep him warm. “I don’t regret it. But I’m sorry it came to this.”

“Mm.” Xephos tried to nod, but couldn’t find the energy, and settled for humming soft agreement - until the air caught in his chest with a bright spark of pain and he shuddered, curling in on himself in a convulsive movement and coughing violently. “Ah- _ah_ , oh gods-”

“Shh, shh.” Kirin blinked again, and this time, when his eyes opened, glittering beads of tears clung to his eyelashes. “It’s okay.” He dipped his head, pressing his lips against Xephos’ forehead in a chaste, tender kiss, holding him until he stopped trembling. “It’s okay. I’m here.”

Xephos smiled, a tight, pained thing, one hand clutching at Kirin’s robes white-knuckled with the last of his strength. “It’s- just. Just.” His eyes fluttered, the darkness encroaching another inch. It was getting hard to keep his thoughts straight. “Honeydew- he’ll. He’ll know…”

It was getting had to hold onto Kirin, but hold on he did, panting and clutching tight even as the rest of him went numb and heavy.

“I’ll get you to him, don’t worry,” promised Kirin, lips moving against the creases of Xephos’ brow. “He’ll do your final rites beautifully, I’m sure.” Kirin himself had never bothered to learn them, not being a mortal. He regretted that, now, just a little, as he watched the frown slip of Xephos’s face with relief.

“Thank you,” he breathed, wishing he had the energy to reach up and touch Kirin’s face, cup Kirin’s cheek in the palm of his hand one last time. “Thank- thank you, Kirin.”

The pain had gone, now. He knew his life wouldn’t be far behind.

Neither of them spoke, after that. There was nothing left to say, nothing that hadn’t been said a thousand times before - _I’m sorry_  seemed pointless, now, for either of them. 

As for anything else, well… they’d never said _I love you_ , not even in the dark quiet of just past midnight when Xephos’ demons kept him awake and curled into the warmth of Kirin’s embrace, Kirin’s eyes wide open and his face bathed in the blue light of Xephos’ glow. They’d never said it before, Xephos didn’t intend to start saying it now. That just seemed cruel, somehow. Cruel and unnecessary.

In the end, it was Kirin who broke the silence. Lips still pressed warm to Xephos’ forehead, he began to hum

It took Xephos a moment to recognise it as a lullaby he often sung whilst distracted, whilst cooking or showering or checking through reams of endless paperwork. It was one of the few things he remembered from his life before this planet - a soft, simple tune that repeated over and over. A gentle thing, comforting.

He smiled, as much as he was able, the corners of his mouth quirking upwards. The darkness was crawling inwards, faster now, and it was hard to see anything but Kirin, curled over him, huge and dark and gentle, wings spread wide around them like a shield. His own personal angel of death.

The thought was oddly comforting - there would be someone, at least, to see him here at the end. It was more than he’d expected, after everyone had left him, after Lalna had quit and Honeydew had run away in the middle of the night with only an angry, damning note left behind. Even now, after all he’d done, there was someone here to hold him as he died.

His grip on Kirin’s robes loosened, ever so slightly, eyes slipping closed. It was getting colder now, and the air seemed heavy, almost, pressing down on him. It was so much easier to just lie there, soaking in Kirin’s warmth, letting the quiet of the song wash over him, and just _drift_ …

Slowly, slowly, in the cold, clinical emptiness of Yogslabs’ huge, empty entrance hall, Xephos’ breathing stopped.

Kirin lifted his head with a sigh when it did, and still holding Xephos close. One broad, work-rough hand slid over his cold, lightless face to close his eyes, with an almost unbearable amount of tenderness. _It was necessary_ , he told himself, with the limp deadweight of Xephos’ body in his arms and the slickness of Xephos’ sky-blue blood smeared across his fingers. _It was necessary_.

He kept humming the song, very quietly, until it ended.


End file.
